Personal computers having an audio CD reproduction function have been marketed in recent years. Some of such personal computers are provided with operation switches dedicated to reproducing a CD for the purpose of improving convenience of the computer user when the computer is used simply as a CD player.
For instance, in the case of a laptop type portable computer of the type under consideration, a power switch, a fast backward button, a fast forward button, a reproduction button and a stop button are arranged on the front surface of the computer cabinet so that the CD reproduction may be performed when the display panel is closed. The power controller can control the CD drive independently from controlling the computer main body so that the power source of the CD drive can be controlled by operating the power switch dedicated to the CD reproduction function.
Then, with such a personal computer, the user can reproduce a CD by turning on the power switch dedicated to the CD reproduction function, drawing out the CD tray, putting the CD on the tray, pushing back the CD tray into the computer cabinet and depressing the reproduction button. Therefore, the user is not required to turn on the power switch of the computer main body to activate the operating system (to be referred to as OS hereinafter) and hence can quickly start reproducing the CD.
Meanwhile, video CDs and DVDs technologically compatible with the current audio CD standards have become popular in recent years as video recording media. Music CDs will be referred to simply as CDs hereinafter. In line this trend, personal computers comprising a disk drive driving a CD, a video CD, or a DVD have been marketed.
However, while known personal computers comprising operation switches dedicated to reproducing a CD can be used to reproduce a CD without turning on the power switch of the computer main body, they are not adapted to reproducing a DVD or a CD without turning on the power switch of the computer main body. This is because the use of a specifically designed application program is required to reproduce such a video recording medium. In other words, when reproducing such a recording medium by means of a personal computer of the type under consideration, it is necessary for the user to firstly turn on the power switch of the computer main body to activate the operating system of the computer and then activate the application program for reproducing a video recording medium.
However, as the power switch of the computer main body is turned on to activate the OS of the computer, all the devices of the computer including those required to reproduce the video recording medium are activated (and initialized) to waste power and time to a certain extent.
It may be appreciated that the same is true when activating a specific application program or a function other than the application program or the function for reproducing a recording medium.
As described above, the power switch of the computer main body has to be turned on to activate the OS and supply power to all the devices of the computer so as to consequently waste power and time to a certain extent when the user wants to activate only a specific application program or a function (and hence supply power to specific devices). For instance, while it is possible to reproduce an audio recording medium only by turning on the power switch of the medium drive and depressing the reproduction button, it is not possible to reproduce a video recording medium without turning on the power switch of the computer main body and activating the OS of the computer.